Bio

Dante Bonfim Costa Santos, known by the shortened name of Dante, was born in Salvador, Bahia on 18 October 1983. Primarily a central defender, he has also played at left back and in a defensive midfield role and is known for his power, tackling and aerial ability. He is regarded as something of a late bloomer in the sport, only attracting widespread attention for his performances during his late twenties.

After graduating from Juventude's youth academy, Dante made his debut for the club's senior team in 2002 and became an important member of the squad before making a move to Europe to play for Lille. His time in France was ultimately unsuccessful, as he made just 12 league appearances in three seasons. In 2006, he moved to Belgian side Charleroi, before transferring to Standard Liège in 2007, where he helped the team to win the 2007-08 Belgian Pro League.

Dante's performances for Standard Liège attracted the attention of German club Borussia Mönchengladbach, who signed him in the middle of the 2008-09 campaign. Over the course of the next few seasons, he made over 100 appearances in all competitions and emerged as a cult favourite, with many supporters sporting afro wigs in tribute to his trademark hair. Prior to the 2012-13 season, he joined Bayern Munich for a fee of €4.7 million. His first season was a huge success, as the team won the UEFA Champions League, the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal. Dante was singled out for praise by captain Phillip Lahm, who described him as one of the best defenders he had ever played alongside.

As with his club career, Dante came onto the international scene relatively late in his career, making his debut for Brazil's senior team in 2013 in a friendly match against England. Later that year, he was part of the squad that went on to win the FIFA Confederations Cup, notably scoring against Italy during the group stage.